Police charge motorcyclist in death of Delaware student

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- A New Jersey motorcyclist was charged Friday for fatally striking an 18-year-old university of Delaware student.

Brian Briddle, 27, was charged with second-degree murder, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, disregarding a police officer's signal, driving a special vehicle without a special license, operation of an unregistered motor vehicle and failure to stop at a red light.

He was arrested on Thursday and accused of striking and killing Noelia Gomez as she was walking in a crosswalk with friends just after midnight

Newark Police said they spotted a motorcyclist identified as Briddle riding new to the University of Delaware campus at about 11:50 p.m. on Tuesday. A campus police officer tried to stop Briddle for breaking several traffic violations, but Briddle ignored the initial emergency lights.

Authorities said the campus police officer broke off the pursuit and turned off his light, but Briddle continued to speed near campus until he struck Gomez and several other students in the crosswalk on West Main Street.

Police said Gomez and three others were struck by the motorcycle, hospitalizing a second person while two others suffered minor injuries and declined to be transported to a hospital. Police said Gomez died at the scene while bystanders tried to rescue her.

Briddle fell off his motorcycle after the crash and was also hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries before he was incarcerated at Howard R. Young Correctional Institution in Wilmington.

University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis and Vice President Jose-Luis Riera issued a joint statement , noting that the accident was witnessed by many on campus.

"We cannot express enough how sorry we are for the family, friends, and greater community as we are all so deeply shaken by the sudden loss of one of our own," they said. "Our hearts are very heavy today."

Gomez had just completed her first day of classes at the university.

"As a parent, I can't imagine you're sending your child off to school to see the world and going away from home and getting that call or that visit unfortunately early in the morning," Newark Police Sgt. Jay Conover said, according to WPVI-TV said. "It's truly tragic."